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House passes bill to tame journalists
2007-04-14 09:44:53
By Mwinyi Sadallah, Zanzibar
Members of the Zanzibar House of Representatives have passed a bill that is seen as violating press freedom.
Speaking later, the Minister of State in the President`s Office responsible for Constitutional Affairs and Good Governance, Ramadhan Abdalla Shaban, said that ``from now onwards, House activities will be regarded as court issues.``
He, however, said the bill doesn`t bar journalists from reporting what goes on inside the house, but rather wants them to perform their duties in accordance with rules and regulations set by the House.
``We don`t deny entrance to journalists, but want them to adhere to House regulations,`` Shaban said.
Commenting about the bill, opposition leaders called on the government to get rid of all rules interfering with the freedom of press.
Article 28 of the Bill declares that journalists will only report matters concerning the House with the permission of the Speaker, failure of which offending journalists would pay a 50,000/- fine or be sentenced to six months imprisonment.
The bill prohibits media houses from reporting anything regarding the House without the Speakers` consent, otherwise it would mean paying a fine of 300,000/- or three years imprisonment.
Part of the bill reads that it is a criminal offence for journalists to report blunders committed by legislators or any information that may in any way tarnish their image to the society.
The minister said: ``No arrests will be carried in regard to criminal offences committed by media personnel without a written consent from the Director of Prosecution and the report being sent to the Speaker,`` Shaban said.
Asked by legislators why journalists should be treated like strangers in the legislature although they were serving the people, State Attorney Iddi Pandu Hassan said such a bill was common in Commonwealth parliaments.
Pandu said the House only recognized its members adding that anyone else, including government officers, was a stranger.
He said that journalists might carry identity cards but could only get inside the House with the permission of those responsible.
``You can`t simply get into someone`s house just because you are a journalist, neither can you do so at the State House``, said Pandu.
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